A Guide to Navigating the Battle of Life

Upon hearing this famous and enigmatic line from the Gita’s seventh chapter when he was a boy, Ravi Ravindra embarked on a journey to understand its deep meaning. The search led him far beyond the tradition from which the text originally arose to an exploration of world mystical wisdom, including Zen, Christianity, Yoga, and particularly the teachings of J. Krishnamurti and G. I. Gurdjieff. Dr. Ravindra’s fresh prose translation with wide-ranging commentary is the fruit of that lifelong process. It stands out from the many other versions with its assertion that the Bhagavad Gita is at heart a universal guide to navigating the battle of life required of each and every one of us. It is through that navigation, he shows, that we can discover and connect with the Krishna deep within ourselves: the Eternal Witness who is above the battle, and who is, ultimately and joyfully, all there is.

News & Reviews

"This engaging new rendition of one of the world’s most venerated works opens up many of its dimensions that have usually been hidden. Ravindra’s version brought me closer to the actual experience behind the meaning of the text than any other translation that I’ve read." —Richard Smoley, author of The Dice Game of Shiva: How Consciousness Creates the Universe

"Ravindra’s book speaks so splendidly (yes, with a radiant splendor) to the heart-mind of the student: he has surely listened so well to Krishna that the words fairly sing (after all, it is a “song”) in one’s being, touching both heart and mind! I particularly appreciated too the several footnotes that opened up the fullness of meaning of so many of the Sanskrit words in the original text. It is a work to be lived with, to be turned to again and again, as it speaks to the core of one’s being." —Joy Mills, Former President of the Theosophical Society in America and Australia

"This is a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita that is in a class of its own. The background story from the Mahabharata and its characters come alive, even while the focus remains on the Gita. Almost no commentary on this ancient scripture emphasizes a historical battle but rather, all take pains to point to it as a metaphor for the battle within. However, none so superbly take us within, to the very place of the battle raging within each one of us, as Ravi Ravindra’s does. In so doing he truly makes alive the promise of Krishna in chapter six that Yoga is breaking the bond with suffering." —Swami Ambikananda Saraswati, founder of Traditional Yoga Association, UK

"Ravi Ravindra’s translation of the Bhagavad Gita allows these sacred teachings to penetrate our hearts, open our minds, and call us to action. His commentary on this classic text of yoga invites a sincere and practical engagement with the text and raises many questions for our lives. Ravindra’s intimacy with the spiritual traditions of both the East and the West brings a rich and fertile look into the meaning of these teachings." —Kira Sloane, director of Yoga Anytime

"Sacred texts often suffer deification, an action that is a prelude to the loss of true meaning. Ravi Ravindra has brought the Bhagavad Gita out of that context. As one reads his commentary, it becomes clear that one is listening to insights that arc the result of actual struggle and practice on the way of the Gita. Ravindra has brought an exploration of the value of the Bhagavad Gita for a seeker who wishes a practical path to transformation as well as a new translation." —Parabola review